On the morning of her departure, Helia stood before her mirror in her room while Lucille, her maid, skillfully braided her hair. The braids were meant to last several days, a practical style for her imminent journey. She wore a dark gray dress, simple yet elegant, perfectly suited to the circumstances. Lucille, anxious, couldn't help but ask for the last time the question that had been haunting her for two days:
"Are you sure I shouldn't accompany you, miss? It is my duty to take care of you in all circumstances."
Helia smiled gently in the mirror. She was used to Lucille's concern, but this time, she was resolute.
"It is my choice to go to the borders, Lucille. I won't force you to spend days in a military camp and sleep in a tent."
Lucille, though persistent in the previous days, finally resigned with a sigh. The debate had already gone on long enough.
"Be careful, miss," she said, gazing at Helia with a look full of concern.
Once ready, Helia left her room. The carriage was waiting for her at the gate of her residence. Lucille followed, carrying her bag, which she handed to Sir Aldric. He noticed the worried look on Lucille's face and gave her a reassuring smile.
"Do not worry, I will look after the miss," he said confidently.
Lucille, though still a bit anxious, nodded. But it was at that moment that the familiar voice of Lucian was heard, emerging from nowhere.
"I expect nothing less from you, Sir Aldric," he said, his tone slightly stern.
Helia rolled her eyes with a hint of exasperation. Lucian, her older brother, never missed an opportunity to remind her how foolish he thought her departure was. He had relentlessly scolded her ever since he had learned she was going to the camp at the borders.
"Relax, I come in peace," Lucian added, raising both hands, a mischievous smile at the corner of his lips.
Helia was clearly skeptical. Lucian pretended to ignore her expression and continued in a more serious tone, "I simply wanted to wish you a good journey and remind you to be careful."
She looked at him still with some suspicion.
"Listen, all of you, I truly appreciate your concern, but you really don't need to worry so much. I'm only gone for a few days, and I'm not in any danger. Many scientists have already gone to the borders and they all came back safe. The imperial knights are there to protect us."
Lucian, determined not to give up so easily, replied, "It remains a dangerous expedition, especially for a w..."
Helia immediately cut him off: "Lucian, if you dare say again that it's dangerous because I'm a woman, I'll make you swallow your tongue."
Lucian, realizing he had gone too far, raised his hands in surrender.
"Alright, alright, I told you I came in peace," he said with a slight smile before turning to leave. "Safe travels, little sister."
Although he tried to hide his worry behind a smile, Lucian was terribly anxious for his sister. However, he knew he had no say in her decision. He had insisted as much as he could with their father to accompany her to the borders, but their father had firmly forbidden it, arguing that he had too much work to do here. Their father had also tried to reassure him, saying that Helia would be protected by the imperial knights and that Sir Aldric would personally watch over her.
Helia finally got into her carriage. On the way to the imperial palace, a slight apprehension overcame her. But she also felt a deep excitement at the prospect of getting involved for the first time in such an important project. Her thoughts briefly drifted to her fiancé, Adrian. She had only bothered to inform him of her departure with a simple letter sent that morning. She sighed, thinking that would be a conversation to deal with upon her return.
Arriving at the imperial palace, the carriage stopped in the large courtyard where the convoy was preparing to depart. Helia descended, assisted by Sir Aldric, and a man approached them. He was well-dressed, wearing a dark, elegant coat, with a neatly visible white shirt underneath. His brown hair tied in a ponytail and round glasses gave him a serious and distinguished air, clearly different from the knights around him.
"Lady Helia Sterallis?" he inquired.
She nodded in response.
The man bowed slightly. "Allow me to introduce myself, I am Lord Bellair, the chief physician of the camp. The emperor has asked me to stay by your side to assist you should the need arise. Please follow me, the convoy will be leaving soon."
Helia and Sir Aldric followed Lord Bellair across the courtyard until they reached a group of men loading supplies into carts. Bellair addressed one of them respectfully.
"Your Majesty."
The man overseeing the preparations turned around, and Helia immediately understood that it was Prince Arthur. She had heard of him, but it was the first time she saw him in person. His beauty was striking, even more so than the rumors suggested. Tall and imposing, with jet-black hair and piercing gray eyes, he exuded a chilling aura that contrasted with the softness of her fiancé Adrian. He wore an entirely black outfit, accompanied by light black armor. Simple yet imposing, it emphasized his presence, making him appear formidable.
Quickly, Helia bowed with respect.
"Your Majesty, it is an honor to meet you. I am Helia Sterallis, the daughter of Marquis Sterallis."
Arthur briefly glanced at her before asking in a neutral tone, "Where are your belongings and your attendants?"
Helia, slightly surprised, calmly responded, "Only Sir Aldric accompanies me, and he is carrying my luggage."
Arthur raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised. "Is that all you're taking? Aren't you bringing your maid?"
"I didn't want to impose this journey on her, Your Majesty, and this luggage contains everything I need."
The prince nodded, seemingly uninterested.
"Very well. Sir Aldric, you will accompany the other knights on horseback. Lady Helia, please make yourself comfortable in this carriage."
Helia climbed into the carriage, once again assisted by Lord Bellair. She had expected to share it with the doctor, but to her great surprise, it was Prince Arthur who entered the carriage a few minutes later. He sat across from her, his face still impassive. She looked at him, intrigued, unable to understand how she had ended up sharing a carriage with the heir to the throne.
Arthur frowned upon seeing her expression.
"Does my presence disturb you?" he asked, his tone irritated.
Helia, caught off guard, hurried to respond. "No, absolutely not, Your Majesty! I simply didn't expect to share a carriage with you, that's all..."
He turned his head toward the window with a sigh. "The road to the borders is long and winding. We're not going to burden ourselves with multiple carriages just to please a Lady."
Helia replied calmly, "It does not bother me, Your Majesty."
Arthur, visibly annoyed by the conversation, sighed again, staring out the window. A few moments later, the convoy began to move.
The first hours of the journey passed slowly. Helia tried to distract herself by observing the landscapes unfolding before her. The imperial countryside, with its vast stretches of forests and distant mountains, was of a wild beauty. But the fact that the crown prince was sitting across from her, just a few meters away, made her uneasy. His imposing presence, even in silence, weighed heavily on her.
After four hours of travel, they made a stop. Helia seized the opportunity to briefly escape the oppressive atmosphere. She retrieved one of the books she had brought with Sir Aldric, a work on the biodiversity of the Eastern forests, and quickly resumed her reading as the convoy continued its journey. Immersed in the fascinating details of the local fauna and flora, she almost forgot the suffocating air of the carriage.
But this tranquility was abruptly interrupted. Helia felt an intense gaze on her. Discreetly lifting her eyes from her book, she locked gazes with Arthur, who was staring at her intently, without the slightest hesitation. His look wasn't that of a mere curiosity, but seemed to carry an odd recognition. Surprised, she quickly lowered her gaze, attempting to ignore him. But before she could dive back into her book, the prince's voice broke the silence.
"You said you've never met me?" he asked, his voice serious but tinged with doubt.
"Excuse me, Your Majesty?" Helia replied, taken aback by the unexpected question.
Arthur maintained his steady gaze. "It's strange. I'm sure I've seen you somewhere before."
An unpleasant sensation filled Helia. Suddenly, she remembered. The night of the banquet at Count Dante's. She had bumped into a man with gray eyes. It was him, the prince. But she didn't want to remind him of that.
"I don't think so, Your Majesty. You must be confusing me with someone else," she replied, trying to sound convincing, though her voice betrayed a hint of nervousness.
Arthur slightly squinted his eyes, his piercing gaze searching for the truth. "I don't believe so. I never forget a face."
Before she could respond, the carriage suddenly stopped. The jolt threw her violently forward, and she landed against Arthur. He instinctively caught her, his arms holding her firmly to prevent her from falling. Their sudden proximity caused Helia to blush, but before she could regain her composure, they heard a shout from outside.
"An attack! A wild boar!"
Arthur gently pushed her back to her seat before quickly standing up. He opened the carriage door with a swift motion. Before stepping out, he turned around and, in a firm tone, ordered, "Stay here and do not leave under any circumstances. There's a magical barrier protecting the carriage."
Without waiting for a response, he jumped out of the vehicle, closing the door behind him. Helia, her heart racing, slowly moved toward the window. What she saw outside left her frozen.
Only a few meters away, a cart from the convoy lay overturned, a gigantic enraged wild boar standing in front of it. Helia was speechless.
She had studied wild boars in her books, but this one was far larger than normal. Such a massive creature could not possibly be natural. A dozen knights surrounded the animal, attempting to control it while avoiding its furious charges. None of them were wearing their full armor, a sign that they hadn't expected such a danger at this location, making them even more vulnerable.
Suddenly, one of the knights attempted a frontal attack, but the wild boar reacted with astonishing speed. Its sharp claws struck the man's chest, throwing him back with terrifying force. The boar was about to charge again, but that was when Arthur intervened. Surrounded by his men, he took advantage of the opening created by the boar's attack and charged at the beast with sword in hand. With a precise strike, he severed its head.
Helia remained motionless, shocked by the brutality of the scene. Her gaze instinctively went to the wounded knight. He lay on the ground, trembling, his chest covered in blood. The wound, though shallow, seemed to have devastating effects. His lips turned blue, and within seconds, he collapsed convulsing. Helia realized then that he would not survive. This was the first time she had witnessed someone's death, and the shock overwhelmed her.